Siete y Siete

Manuel Ramos

Remember when a seven-seven was a drink you ordered to impress a date?

In this post:
New Stuff - University of Arizona Press
New Stuff and New Store Events
Opportunities and Deadlines
Nymphos Crime Spree

NEW STUFF - UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA PRESS
Pat Mora's latest poetry collection, Adobe Odes, is set for an October publication by University of Arizona Press. From the UA Press catalog: "With a mélange of aromas and tastes, colors and sounds, award-winning poet Pat Mora invites readers into her home in this new collection of forty-nine odes. Inspired by Pablo Neruda's Odas Elementales and reinvented with a Latina identity, Mora celebrates the ordinary in lyrics that are anything but. Her poetry is the poetry of space -- house patterns and adobe constructions -- and the human rhythms that happen inside. It is also the poetry of what she loves -- chocolate, books, dandelions, church bells, hope, courage, and even rain."



Also set for a fall publication by UA Press is Charles M. Tatum's examination of the literature entitled Chicano and Chicana Literature: Otra voz del pueblo. Tatum has published several works on Chicanismo including Chicano Popular Culture: Que Hable el Pueblo, which explored Chicano pop culture from traditional art to electronic media. His latest is billed as a study of the "important social, historical, and cultural contexts in which the writing evolved, paying special attention to the Chicano Movement and the flourishing of literary texts during the 1960s and early 1970s."

NEW STUFF AND NEW STORE EVENTS AT TATTERED COVER
One of the world's most popular independent book stores has relocated and to help celebrate the move, Denver's Tattered Cover has many upcoming author events that might be of interest to La Bloga readers.

On July 12 at 7:00 PM, in what is advertised as a "local author bonanza," several young adult and juvenile writers will meet and greet their readers and sign books, too. Among the writers are Denise Vega, author of Click Here to Find Out How I Survived the 7th Grade (Little, Brown & Co. Books for Young Readers) and Lynda Sandoval, a former cop whose books include Who's Your Daddy? and Chicks Ahoy ( Simon & Schuster, Simon Pulse imprint).

This event takes place at the latest version of the Tattered Cover at historic Lowenstein Theater on Colfax Avenue and Elizabeth across from East High School.

Meanwhile, over at the LoDo edition of the Tattered, on July 15 at 2:00 PM, Colorado author Dolores Valdez de Pong will discuss and sign Life in Los Sauces (Adobe Village Press), written with her mother Olivama Salazar de Valdez. The book is a detailed account of the lives of people who once lived in an isolated Spanish-speaking village of the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado.

OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINES
Poets & Writers has listed several opportunities for writers. Here are a few for the fiction artist - deadlines lurking around the corner:

Glimmer Train Press Very Short Fiction Award
A prize of $1,200 and publication in Glimmer Train Stories is given twice yearly for a short story. Submit a story of no more than 2,000 words with a $10 entry fee by July 31. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Glimmer Train Press, Very Short Fiction Award, 1211 NW Glisan Street, Suite 207, Portland, OR 97209. (503) 221-0836. Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda Swanson-Davies, Coeditors. www.glimmertrain.com/vershorficaw1.html

Gival Press Short Story Award
A prize of $1,000 is given annually for a short story. The winning entry will be published on the press's Web site and in an anthology of short fiction published by Gival Press. Submit a story of 5,000 to 15,000 words with a $25 entry fee by August 8. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Gival Press, Short Story Award, P.O. Box 3812, Arlington, VA 22203. (703) 351-0079. Robert Giron, Publisher. givalpress@yahoo.com www.givalpress.com

New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award
A prize of $10,000 is given annually to honor a novel or short story collection by a U.S. citizen who is 35 or younger. Publishers and agents may submit 10 copies of a book published (or galleys of a book scheduled for publication) in 2006, a nomination form, an author biography, and book reviews by August 25. There is no entry fee. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. New York Public Library, Young Lions Fiction Award, 476 Fifth Avenue, Room 73, New York, NY 10018. (212) 930-0887. Katie Sanderson, Manager. ksanderson@nypl.org www.nypl.org/yl

University of North Texas Press Katherine Anne Porter Prize
A prize of $1,000 and publication by the University of North Texas Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Submit a manuscript of 100 to 200 pages with a $20 entry fee by August 29. Visit the Web site for complete guidelines.University of North Texas Press, Katherine Anne Porter Prize, Department of English, University of North Texas, P.O. Box 311307, Denton, TX 76203. web2.unt.edu/untpress/contest.cfm

University of Notre Dame Richard Sullivan Prize
A prize of $1,000, publication by the University of Notre Dame Press, and an invitation to read at the University of Notre Dame is given biennially for a short story collection. Fiction writers who have published at least one book of short fiction are eligible. Submit two copies of a book-length manuscript, a curriculum vitae, and a biographical statement with publishing history, along with a $15 entry fee by September 1. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. University of Notre Dame Press, Richard Sullivan Prize, Department of English, Notre Dame, IN 46556-5639. creativewriting@nd.edu www.nd.edu/~alcwp

PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Rosenthal Fellowships
Six to ten fellowships of $1,000 each are given annually to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers from minority, immigrant, or underserved communities. Each winner participates in an eight-month mentorship in Los Angeles with a professional writer. Housing is not provided. Writers who do not have significant publication credits, are not enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate writing program, and do not hold a graduate writing degree are eligible. Submit at least two letters of recommendation and no more than 20 pages of poetry or prose with a $10 entry fee by September 5. Send an SASE, call, e-mail, or visit the Web site for the required application and complete guidelines. PEN Center USA, Emerging Voices Rosenthal Fellowships, c/o Antioch University, 400 Corporate Pointe, Culver City, CA 90230. (323) 660-4848. Leslie Schwartz, Program Director. leslie@penusa.org http://www.penusa.org/

NYMPHOS CRIME SPREE
Consistent readers of La Bloga know that we have found a soft spot in our technological hearts for Mario Acevedo's first novel, The Nymphos of Rocky Flats (Rayo). We ran an interview with Mario and reviewed his book - and it was all good. Mario has attracted more positive attention and I want to mention the excellent review of his book in the most recent edition of CrimeSpree Magazine, rapidly becoming one of the premier crime fiction periodicals. The review, written by Richard Katz, owner of Mystery One Bookstore in Milwaukee, says, in part, "To my surprise I found this book to be pure fun. The plot is first rate and Acevedo is excellent at describing the plentiful action. There are nice twists and turns and the mystical identities of some of the characters bodes well for future books. ... The Nymphos of Rocky Flats is outstanding entertainment."

Way to go, Mario.

Later.